The present invention relates to wearable pads for use in medical tests, and more particularly, to a multifunctional wearable apron for use in examining heart functions, lungs functions, blood pressure and additional tests.
In order to perform an ECG test on a patient, one must place and attach electrodes on various locations patient body. One of the means to attach electrodes to a patient body in exact placements is an Electrode Apron disclosed in PCT publication No. WO97/14346. The Apron is designed to be put on patient body and includes electrodes placed at desired locations to perform required tests.
The present invention provides an Examination Apron that independently performs ECG and other examinations. The Examination Apron, according to the present invention, performs ECG test and additional tests and can display the results on a display screen installed on the Examination Apron and transfer data and results via cable or IR (Infra Red) LED to outside instruments such as printers, PCs and modems.
The Examination Apron of the present invention independently performs ECG and other examinations and includes a 12 Lead Electrodes Apron that is put on patient body, a processing microcomputer unit for receiving data from the electrodes and additional equipment installed on the Examination Apron, an optional display device for displaying tests results that were calculated and processed by the processing unit, a cable or IR LED for transmitting information from the processing unit to a receiving instrument such as a personal computer, a modem or a printer. The Examination Apron includes a battery that provides the power needed for operation.
The Examination Apron can, additionally, perform a Chest Wall Movement test by means of the hardware and software in the processing unit. That processing unit sends a high frequency current to the existing ECG electrodes, measures changes in impedance caused by the Chest Wall Movements, thus calculating test results.
The Examination Apron, can, in addition, include microphones to enable auscultation to the heart from various standard points on the chest such as the pulmonary and aortal points, ERB and APEX by means of the microphones placed in the Examination Apron above these listed points. The location of the microphones is adjusted to the patient body size by stretching the Apron on the body.
The Examination Apron further includes back straps provided with additional microphones for auscultation to lungs. These additional microphones will be placed above different fields of each lungxe2x80x94one or more microphones will be placed above the lower lobe and one or more microphones will be placed above the upper lobe.
The Examination Apron can, in addition, include a temperature sensor pressed with the Apron to the body. In that manner the patient body to in the axial region is measured, transferred to the processing unit and then displayed or transmitted to external devices.
The Examination Apron can, in addition, include an inflatable cushion attached to the patient body. By an inflating device, manually operated or electrally driven, the cushion can be inflated or deflated. The pressure values are translated into digital data by a transducer and from this data, the blood pressure of the patient is calculated.
The present invention will be described in details with reference FIGS. 1,2,3 and 4. The figures are intended to describe embodiments of the invention and not to restrain the scope of the invention in any way.